1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a counting device for use in a coin sorting and counting apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally speaking, a coin sorting and counting apparatus is so devised that various kinds of mixed coins supplied into a hopper are fed one by one and moved along a coin (or sorting) path and are guided, while moving, to their respective courses and leave the coin path in succession in accordance with their sizes, whereby the coins are classified in accordance with their diameters and are stored in the containers for the different sized coins.
In a counting device for use in the aforementioned coin sorting and counting apparatus, more specifically, the counting operations of the coins sorted are performed by photoelectric detectors, which are arranged in the vicinities of the inlets of respective chutes, when the coins are poured into the chutes.
However, the aforementioned photoelectric detectors are remarkably vulnerable to malfunction caused by dust, and the micro-switches are sometimes unreliable in their operations so that an erroneous count may result.